Last fall there were numerous discussions and news articles written about the problems with the Canadian milk supply management system. One such article titled The $25,000 Cow created lots of controversy among consumers and dairy producers alike. The author, Andrew Coyne, compares U.S. retail milk prices to Canadian retail prices, stating that Canadian prices are two to three times higher than U.S. prices. Yet Coyne forgets to mention that while the Canadian government regulates the supply of milk, there are no monetary subsidies paid to help support Canadian producers. Across the border, it is a different story. American tax payers shell out money to their dairy producers through subsidies paid with consumer tax dollars. Essentially, Americans pay twice for their milk. Once in the store and once with their taxes.

The Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) responded to some of the negative comments surrounding the supply managed dairy industry last week at their annual policy conference when they launched a new website, Stand up for your milk Canada. The website displays some of the benefits of supply management and dispels some of the myths. For example, the website tells consumers that dairy prices in Canada are fair, and are comparable to retail prices in China, New Zealand, the European Union and many parts of the U.S. In addition, a Canadian dairy farmer receives only $0.21 on a $2.25 glass of milk sold at a restaurant. For more information about the benefits of supply management, click here.

This website is a proactive step forward for DFC. Consumers deserve to understand how their food is produced and marketed. They deserve to know the good and the bad about supply management. In today’s consumer driven society, dairy producers need to showcase the benefits of supply management so that, when given the choice, consumers will choose supply management.

Kansas City is host to this year’s National Agri-Marketing Association student competition. And the University of Guelph will be sending ten students from their Canadian Agri-Marketing Association (CAMA) student team to the competition to present their marketing plan. This year I was selected to be on the CAMA team and it has been quite the learning experience.

I am grateful for these experiences in university that give me the opportunity to develop my skills in group settings. The Ontario Agricultural College  has various opportunities to offer its students to help them learn in real-world settings and I think it is important to take advantage of these opportunities.

To learn more about the student competition or to see the executive summaries from last year’s finalists in the competition visit the Student Marketing Competition.

Steve and Lisa Cooper were announced the Ontario winners of the 2010 Outstanding Young Farmers of the Year Award on March 30. Steve and Lisa say their biggest revenue generator on their mixed farm northeast of Toronto is the Community Shared Agriculture program. This year the Coopers are anticipating 600 families to sign up for the program to receive a weekly basket of vegetables over 23 weeks.

The recipients of these regional and national awards are innovative in their farming styles and production practices. And I think it’s great this award exists to recognize young farmers for their accomplishments.

To learn more about the award visit the Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers’ Program website. And to learn more about the Coopers’ story read Young and on top – Eastern Ontario Farmers Forum or visit Cooper’s CSA Farm & Maze.

 

                             Steve and Lisa Cooper with their daughter and son

Last year, the Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) capped the quota price at $25,000 per kilogram. Earlier in the year quota prices ran as high as $33,000 per kilogram. Some members of the DFO believe the quota cap is responsible for reducing the number of dairy farmers exiting the industry.

Personally, I think it is a good idea to place a cap on quota. While it is frustrating for farmers who invested in quota at higher prices, the quota cap gives current farmers more of an opportunity to expand. And, even though the price is still relatively high, it also facilitates entry for new dairy farmers.

For more information read the article in the Eastern Ontario Farmer’s Forum, Bold move by Dairy Farmers of Ontario to stop farm exodus appears to be working -By Terry Meagher

Firefighters work to rescue a man from a grain silo in North Gower on March 3rd

A Grain Extrication Tool has been developed by the Lambton 4-H club for use by rescue workers. Grain bin entrapments are rare says Dean Anderson, Canadian Agricultural Safety Association chair. Only 453 entrapments were recorded between 1990 and 2004 in Ontario, with only five of these being fatal. Because grain entrapments are not frequent occurrences, rescue workers are not properly trained in dealing with these incidents. For example, an incident in Ottawa in early March took thirteen fire trucks and 35 firefighters six hours to rescue a man trapped in a grain bin.   I think these 4-H members have developed a great tool for use in these rescues. Even though grain entrapments are rare, it is still important for rural rescue workers to have the resources to perform a proper rescue.   The March 23^rd edition of the Ontario Farmer reports the story. More information can be found in Today’s Farmer and information concerning the Ottawa rescue is reported in the Ottawa Citizen.  

  

By: Heather Ferrier      

Amflora is a genetically modified starch potato developed exclusively for industrial use by BASF- The Chemical Company.  Amflora potatoes contain only one (amylopectin) of the two starches found in ordinary potatoes.  In March 2010, the Amflora potato was approved for commercial application by the European Commission.      

Today there is a lot of controversy surrounding the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to help provide food to feed the growing population. But what about the use of GMOs for non-food use? Many people simply cringe when they hear the words ‘genetically modified.’  If we cannot change their minds about GMOs for food use, I suggest we start demonstrating the safety of GMOs in other products.       

For more information see It’s time to move past Frankenfood scare tactics-By Sylvain Charlebois and European Commission approves Amflora starch potato-BASF.      

Heather and I at the annual OAC Goodtimes banquet

Nostrala, a Kootenay Alpine Cheese Co. product, was reviewed in an article the Globe and Mail last week. This cheese is styled after a classic Italian Fontina which is traditionally made in the Alps. Cheese makers Denise and Wayne Harris say producing cheese has “become quite the family adventure.”  

This article caught my eye because I am a friend of the Harris’ daughter. Erin Harris is a fellow student at the Ontario Agricultural College and was also a fellow agricultural communications student last semester. I think on-farm value-added processing is a growing trend and it is great to see this family recognized for their hard work, their dedication to environmental sustainability and their commitment to producing a quality product.

To learn more about Kootenay Alpine Cheese Co. visit their website.

Denise and Wayne Harris on thier farm in Creston, B.C.

A view of Toronto, one of the three major cities immigrants will live in

  

It is expected one in four Canadians will be foreign-born by 2031, says Statistics Canada in a population report released last week. The report says Canada could have 11.4 million persons belonging to a visible minority by 2031 using a low growth scenario, or 14.4 million using a high growth scenario. These figures are more than double the 5.3 million persons with a visible minority in 2006. In a recent article in the Ontario Farmer, reporter Patrick Gallagher writes the problem with this high growth rate lies in the large number of immigrants who will settle in major metropolitan areas; this will only increase the urban-rural divide. I think this is an important statistic for producers to note. In particular, farmers should recognize that, since consumers drive the market, they will need to produce the foods immigrants want. I think this will include a lot of foods immigrants would commonly eat in their native countries. The sooner farmers take notice of the changing market, the larger the market share they will receive.  

College Royal, a tradition at the University of Guelph since 1925, kicked-off last week with College Royal Kick-off Pub, College Royal Fashion Show and College Royal Ball. These events lead into a busy week of events such as flower arranging, livestock shows, square dancing, logging and tug-of-war. College Royal is twelve days of activities to showcase the University, or the “College on the Hill”.  College Royal boasts the largest student-run open house of its kind in North America with over 3,000 volunteers and 30,000 visitors each year.

I think this open house is a great way to showcase our university, particularly the Ontario Agricultural College through the livestock shows and other events. I will be participating in a few events this year including Super Thursday, flower arranging, square dancing, the duck show and tug-of-war.

To learn more visit the College Royal website or see the video below.

Twelve cows from Buttermine Farms in Brant, Ontario are tweeting about their milk production. Dairy farmer Chris Vandenberg, who uses a robotic milking system, has collaborated with the University of Waterloo Critical Media Lab to put his cows on Twitter. The cows comment about their milk production, including which teat milks out the fastest.I wrote last week about Twitter and Facebook having the possibility to become a major resource for producers to get their message out to consumers. I think this is a great way to educate consumers about how their food is produced. A recent article in the National Post says the cows “are meant to push people to think about where their food comes from and the high-tech nature of farming.”    Check out the cows on Twitter at The Teat Tweet.  

Attention Please is one of the tweeting cows